I found the Christmas tree shelf plans and since I had drawn my wife's aunt's name for this year I knew she'd appreciate this build. I chose 1x6 top choice pine and a wider piece for the base since she may decide to set this on the floor instead of hanging it. I also had some oak plywood I used for the back. I screwed all the pieces together, countersunk and filled the screw holes with wood putty. The paint I used was Benjamin Moore, the color was Balsam (567) and I really like how the color came out. I painted the back and the bottom with standard black interior paint just to protect the wood a little. I coated it with a couple of coats polycrylic and bought a couple of Christmassy items for the shelf to get her started. Can't wait to see what she thinks on Christmas day.
This can easily be built in less than a weekend depending on your skill level. I had to recut one of the boards when I caused some damage while putting it all together. The sanding, painting and finishing takes as long as you want depending on the finish and care taken.